Read a full match report of the Championship game between Derby County and
Queens Park Rangers at Pride Park on Saturday Aug 28 2010.

The formidable figures of Peter Taylor and Brian Clough now welcome visitors to Pride Park, the pair frozen in time standing shoulder to shoulder in an evocative statue that was unveiled before this game.

That dynamic partnership resurrected Derby County in the late 1960s and transformed the club to be league champions in 1972, a remarkable feat now honoured in their bronze presence on the approach to the ground.

Taylor, of course, began his managerial career at Burton Albion and a pleasing symmetry of sorts was completed as both managers of the clubs in action yesterday also cut their managerial teeth at the non-league side’s old Eton Park ground.

What Clough might make of his son’s Nigel’s attempts to restore Derby fortunes is not certain, but he would have been dismayed at the manner in which they allowed Queens Park Rangers to extend their unbeaten start to four games and remain at the top of the table.

Neil Warnock, the QPR manager who sliced bunions at his chiropody practice while in charge at Burton in the years shortly after Clough and Taylor’s European Cup winning-pomp with Nottingham Forest in 1980, argued that his team’s revival in a stunning finale was merited.

Yet after the visitors conceded their first goal of the season when Kris Commons cleverly dinked the ball over Paddy Kenny, Derby seemed destined to record a second win of the campaign.

That feeling was confirmed on the hour as substitute Tomasz Cywka, on for Commons who tweaked a hamstring in scoring, created space for James Bailey to double the lead with a curling right-foot finish.

“It’s frustrating because we have not got our rewards and that’s been the story of our last three games,” said Clough, whose players are heading for Spain as part of their recuperation during the international break.

Clough’s angst was caused by an unexpected climax that began when substitute Patrick Agyemang outpaced Shaun Barker and fired his effort beyond Stephen Bywater two minutes into stoppage time.

Bailey had the chance to secure the three points in a swift counter attack as QPR moved up in numbers but after he was denied by Kenny, QPR responded with a flowing move that ended when Jamie Mackie angled a right foot shot into the bottom corner for a dramatic equaliser with virtually the last kick of the match.

“It’s a motto of mine, never give up, and this just shows what you can do,” said Warnock. “Our substitutions were positive and it feels more like a win because we came back so late.”